Coronavirus (COVID-19) and People with HIV

How Does COVID-19 Affect People with HIV?

We are still learning about COVID-19 and how it affects people with HIV. This is an emerging, rapidly evolving situation and scientists are learning more every day.

Visit COVID-19 and HIV FAQs from CDC for the latest information.

Feeling sick? Call your health care provider if you develop symptoms that could be consistent with COVID-19. Most people have mild illness and can recover at home. If you think you have  COVID-19 and have symptoms, get tested. It’s important to continue taking your HIV medicine as prescribed. This will help keep your immune system healthy. If you don’t have a health care provider, contact your nearest community health center or health department. If you experience severe symptoms, get emergency medical care immediately. Learn more about COVID-19 and what to do if you get sick.

COVID-19 and HIV: Federal Resources

Below are resources about COVID-19 from agencies across the federal government for people with HIV and the health care providers and organizations who work with them. Information is regularly being updated as we learn more in this evolving situation.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

• CDC.gov/coronavirus—This site provides the latest public health and safety information on COVID-19 from CDC for consumers and the medical and health provider community.
• COVID-19 and HIV—This page contains links to CDC resources on COVID-19 for people at risk for and with HIV and for public health partners.
• COVID-19 Vaccine Considerations for People with Underlying Medical Conditions—This page offers information to help people with certain medical conditions (including HIV) make an informed decision about receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.
• HIV Self-Testing Guidance—This CDC guidance addresses the use of HIV self-testing programs to supplement the HIV prevention efforts of health departments and community-based organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Interim Guidance for Syringe Services Programs (SSPs)—This guidance describes actions SSPs and public health authorities can take to support individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic. SSPs provide a range of services to people with or at risk for HIV who inject drugs.
• Medical Conditions Evidence Table—This table provides links to the scientific evidence used to update CDC’s list of underlying medical conditions that put adults at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19, including HIV.
• Older Adults—This page provides information for older adults, who are more likely to be hospitalized or die from COVID-19. More than half of people with HIV are over age 50.
• People with Certain Medical Conditions—This page provides links to information for adults with certain underlying medical conditions that can make a person more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19, including HIV.
• PrEP During COVID-19—This CDC guidance addresses the provision of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) when facility-based services are disrupted and in-person patient-clinician contact is limited due to the COVID-19 epidemic.
• Public Health Activity Guidance—This document addresses protecting public health workers engaged in activities that require face-to-face interaction with clients, including programs for HIV and other infectious diseases.
• Questions and Answers for People Who Use Drugs or Have Substance Use Disorder—This page provides COVID-19 information for people who use drugs or have substance use disorder and their loved ones.
• What to Know About Liver Disease and COVID-19—This page addresses the impact of COVID-19 on people with liver disease, including hepatitis B and hepatitis C, which are common among people with HIV.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

• COVID-19: How to Help—This page provides information about how to volunteer and where to send donations.
• COVID-19 Rumor Control—This page helps the public distinguish between COVID-19 rumors and facts.  All Americans, including those with HIV, should seek trusted sources of information.

Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB)

• FY 2020 CARES Act Funding for Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) Recipients—The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through HRSA, awarded $90 million to help 581 RHWAP recipients prevent or minimize the impact of the pandemic on people with HIV. This page provides the latest information for award recipients. View recipients.
• HRSA HAB COVID-19 Information—This page provides links to resources for RWHAP recipients, subrecipients, and stakeholders who are responding to COVID-19. It includes audio and transcripts from HRSA HAB’s All Grant Recipient Conference Calls and Webinars.
• HRSA.gov/coronavirus—This page provides COVID-19 information specific to all HRSA programs and grantees.
• RWHAP COVID-19 FAQs—These FAQs were developed to assist RHWAP recipients, subrecipients, and stakeholders as they deliver critical services and assist local communities in response to COVID-19. This page is updated regularly.

Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Health Center Program

• COVID-19 Information for Health Centers and Partners—This page provides the latest information on COVID-19 for health centers and Health Center Program partners. HRSA-funded health centers are a vital part of the nation’s response to HIV.
• Interpersonal Violence (IPV) Toolkit and COVID-19 Resource Page—Futures Without Violence, a HRSA-funded National Training and Technical Assistance Partner, developed this toolkit to assist health centers in designing a comprehensive response to IPV and human trafficking. During COVID-19, increases in IPV have been reported across the US; there is a strong association between IPV and risks for HIV infection.

Indian Health Service (IHS)

• IHS.gov/coronavirus—This web page provides Information specific to the federal response in Indian Country.

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

• COVID-19 Prevention Trials Network (COVPN)—The CoVPN seeks to enroll thousands of volunteers in large-scale clinical trials of vaccines and monoclonal antibodies for the prevention of COVID-19 disease. It was formed by merging four long-standing NIAID-funded clinical trial networks, including three that target HIV and AIDS. (These networks will continue to perform clinical trials for HIV vaccine and prevention and other infectious diseases in addition to their new COVID roles.) Interested individuals can sign up to potentially take part in a current or future clinical trial.
• Interim Guidance for COVID-19 and Persons with HIV—This interim guidance reviews special considerations for persons with HIV and their health care providers in the United States regarding COVID-19.
• NIH COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines—These Treatment Guidelines were developed to inform clinicians how to care for patients with COVID-19. These Guidelines will be updated as new information becomes available.

• NIDA: Resources to Help Your Patients with Substance Use Disorders (SUD) During the COVID-19 Pandemic—This National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) page provides resources for medical professionals on SUD during the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the comorbidity of HIV and SUD, it may be of use to those who work with people with HIV. 
• NIDA: COVID-19—NIDA also developed this page of COVID-19 resources for consumers, researchers, recovery professionals, medical providers, and others. It includes FAQs on COVID-19 and addiction/substance use disorder.

• NIH.gov/coronavirus—This page provides the latest news about COVID-19 research from NIH.
• NLM: COVID-19—This National Library of Medicine (NLM) site provides links to clinical studies, journal articles, text mining collections, and other COVID-19 resources.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

• SAMHSA.gov/coronavirus—This site provides guidance and resources on the prevention and treatment of those with mental health and SUD as it relates to COVID-19.
• Coping with Stress During Infectious Disease Outbreaks—This fact sheet describes common signs of stress and how to recognize when to get help. (En Español)
• Tips for Social Distancing, Quarantine, and Isolation During an Infectious Disease Outbreak—This resource discusses what individuals may expect before, during, and after social distancing, quarantine, and isolation, and how to care for one's behavioral health.
• Tips for Survivors of a Pandemic – Managing Stress.—This sheet describes some of the common reactions to pandemics and other disasters and suggests ways to deal with them. (En Español)
• Training and Technical Assistance Related to COVID-19—Updated monthly, this resource provides links to COVID-19-related trainings offered by SAMHSA’s technology transfer centers.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Administration for Community Living

• Strategies to Improve Equitable Vaccine Access for Older Adults and People With Disabilities— This compendium provides creative approaches to ensure COVID-19 vaccine access for people with disabilities and older adults. More than 36% of people with HIV are over the age of 55. 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights

• HHS OCR Bulletin on Civil Rights Laws and HIPAA Flexibilities that Apply During the COVID-19 Emergency—This Bulletin is focused on ensuring that covered entities (such as hospitals, clinics, and state health departments) do not unlawfully discriminate against people with disabilities when making decisions about their treatment during the COVID-19 public health emergency. It includes addressing the needs of people with HIV in emergency planning.
• HHS OCR Guidance on Federal Legal Standards Prohibiting Disability Discrimination in COVID-19 Vaccination Programs—This guidance describes legal standards which prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability and gives examples of the application of these standards in the context of COVID-19 vaccine programs. People with or at risk for HIV who have disabilities may find this information useful. (Related fact sheet.)

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

• HUD COVID-19 Resources and Fact Sheets—HUD has posted the FY 2020 allocations for the Office of Community Planning and Development's (CPD’s) formula programs, including Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) grantees, as well as CARES Act supplemental funding for HOPWA programs and others. 
• HUD HOPWA Guidance for COVID-19—This page offers COVID-19 guidance and resources for the grantees of HUD’s Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS (HOPWA) Program.

U.S. Department of State

• PEPFAR’s HIV Response in the Context of COVID-19—The United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is the largest commitment by any nation to address a single disease in history. This resource outlines PEPFAR’s ongoing HIV response in the context of COVID-19.

Other Federal Resources

• Surgeon General’s Advisory on Confronting Health Misinformation—This Advisory discusses how misinformation can be harmful to individual and public health and provides recommendations for how it can be addressed. This is relevant not only for COVID-19, but also for HIV and other health conditions.
• Telehealth.hhs.gov—This resource provides information for patients about telehealth and what to expect when using it, and links to tools and resources for providers.